Trying to Quit smoking...feel like I'm Dying

Oh honey, I've BEEN there! Fifteen years ago. My problem was that I loved to smoke! But I wanted to start a family and I knew it was time. Didn't wanna quit, but I did.

Hang in there, drink lots of water, and yes, YOU CAN DO THIS!

Okay cheerleading mamas- Give me "B"...

We are all cheering for you! Good luck and please post in a few days to let us know how you are doing.

Get the book "the easy way to quit smoking" by Alan Carr I know it sounds hokey, but my husband had been a smoker since he was 14. He tried everything--gum, pills, patches etc. A friend of his told him about the book. He got it the next day at the library. Smoked while reading it. Finished the last page, and that was it. He hasnt smoked since. He swears by it and 3 of his friends have also quit from reading it.
Good Luck!

I second Alan Carr's Easyway to stop smoking. I don't know how it works but it does! Highly recommend it, has helped me and many others I know, and I always love to tell others about him!

21 Days. To break any habit--good or bad.

Just hang in there and inspire me to quit as well! (no pressure! LOL)

Good luck! You can do it!

Well, I don't have any unique tips you haven't already heard. I'd just like to say, if you make it I will be your NUMBER ONE FAN. Furthermore, until then, I will be your loudest cheerleader!

Lots and lots of strength to you!

:)

Go You!! Go You!! Rah Rah Siss Boom Bah

No advice just a cheering section from Up North!!

My husband was seriously addicted and the gum/patches didn't work for him. He says what finally worked was he discovered that the URGE to have a cigarette passes whether you actually smoke one or not. So when you feel like you want to smoke, make yourself wait a bit (divert your attention to something else) and the urge should pass. He quit about 15 years ago.

It takes 3 days for the nicotine to clear your system. Drink lots of water and get some lollypops for the oral fixation thing. I quit from 2 packs a day to nothing in one day. It has been 14 years. Remember that each time you feel like having a smoke, just breath and craving will pass.

one day at a time and each day brings you farther away from your last cigarette!!

i quit the day i found out i was preggo with our oldest. it sucked, i had been a pack a day, sometimes 2 packs a day, for about 10 years.....about a month or so after i went back to work I started back up. but just a few cigarettes a day, one before work, one at lunch and one after work. then, i got preggo a 2nd times and same thing quit the day i found out. didnt go back to them since and the twins are 9 months old.

but i will tell you that every single day I want a cigarette. it isnt overwhelming by any means and i usually only think about it maybe once a day....but every day I crave a cigarette. and to be honest, if we had the money and my husband didnt care I would be a smoker still. I woulnt smoke in the house or car or around my kids, but i would probably still have probably one in the morning with my coffee before the kids got up and then another 1 or 2 after they went to bed......okay, now I really want one..LOL. I'd say that the best way to do it is to just go cold turkey. the first week really wasnt that hard for me, it was weeks 2-3 that were the worst for me. it gets better after that.

Good luck to you! I quit cold turkey. Yes it was hard but well worth it! It has been 3yrs and I couldn't have made a better choice! I feel so much better. I can actually breath again. I really just tried to make myself as busy as possible so I wouldn't think about it as much. You can do it!

Don't panic with your cravings, they will be bad but they WILL go away. They are kind of like a contraction.. they start, build, have a peak and then decrease. Breathe through them and don't fight them. Realize how they feel to you and when you get one, you will know how it feels and that it will go away.

Don't talk about it and tell others not to ask you about it. Being reminded of a cigarette will bring on a craving

I am 8 years smoke free and 4 months alcohol free, so I have quit 2 things now. Next is the sugar LOL

Just about everything worth doing is hard. Think about your family and the favor you are doing for them.
My parents smoked, so I get to have to battle lung cancer! You don't want that for your children.
Hang in there! And let us know how you are doing. WE CARE!
Stay as busy as you can to not think about it.
Good luck and God bless.

I quit about 6 years ago and its tough but not too bad. If you can hold on it gets much easier after the 3rd day. I never bothered with the gum or patchs I quit cold turkey. Every time I wanted a ciggerette I would put a piece of lifesaver candy in my mouth. It really did help. After 3 days and about my body weight in candy I was fine and have never touched one again. Good luck praying for you. :)

My Mom smoked and I always heard that nicotine is one of the hardest things to quit. This in NO Way is meant to discourage you, it's to validate that IT IS HARD but you CAN DO IT. Follow the advice from the caring Moms who know this first hand and also know I'm rooting for you amoung other caring people here! You are giving yourself, your body and your family such a great gift! It means a happy healthier you and family and can very well mean several more years of quality time together! Godspeed!

I feel your pain.. I've been there! The patch really helped take the edge off. I also recommend quitnet.com Just take it one day at a time and find things to distract you when you get a craving. You can do it and I promise it gets easier! Good luck!

I smoked for eight years. I was up to about a pack a day for the last few years. I quit cold turkey the day I found out I was pregnant with my first son. I haven't had a single cigarette since- that was over 6 years ago. I had tried to quit in the past, unsuccessfully. For me, the ONLY way was to go cold turkey. It was hard for about the first month or so and then it got a lot easier. The hardest times were after meals and when I got in the car. Those were my big "cues" to light up. Hang in there- you CAN do it!! Now I don't know how I ever had such a disgusting habit...AND I am so glad that I will be healthy enough to watch my children and their children grow up! Good luck!

The issue I see here is the "trying" to quit. That indicates that you are not serious, not only to others, but to yourself. A more positive approach is "I don't smoke." That is a serious statement. Write it on post-it notes and stick it everywhere you formerly smoked. Don't tell anyone you are "trying," tell them "I don't smoke." That statement carries weight and is final. Repeat it to yourself every time you feel the urge..."I don't smoke." That simple statement changes the thought process of your sub-concious brain, which is the holder of your habit. It works, worked for me (20 yr habit) and for all the friends that I have offered the suggestion to.

I quit in april after I found out I was pregnant with my third. I smoked for 16 years. The only reason I quit was because I was so nauseous the smell made me want to yack. Now I am trying to get my husband to quit. For him we are going to get the Chantix since it worked so well for his uncle. My dad smoked for approximately 30 years. He only tried to quit wholeheartedly one time and he used the patch and it worked for him. My grandfather quit cold turkey and actually left an unfinished pack and a lighter on his dresser for over a year and never touched it. (they ended up quitting the same day without knowing it.)
My brother got sick which is how he quit and my sister cut down until finally just dropping it.
You just have to find the way that works for you. There is a livestrong stop smoking app for the iPhone if you have one that could prove to be helpful if you use it.
I cut the straws also so that when I had a craving i could suck on that or chew on it. I also ate a lot of lollipops.
Also you need to find your triggers and know that those times are going to be the hardest. After eating and getting in the car are the hardest for me. Also when I see someone smoking in a tv show or a movie is very hard. Just pay attention to yourself and your body.
Best of luck!!! I hope you can stick with which ever way works for you!!

Hey girl,

I feel for you - I'm in the same boat. My partner and I quit 2 years ago this October.....she's been PERFECT! I haven't been so good. My biggest problem is I really enjoy smoking and don't have any other vices - don't go to bars or anything. Work full time, take care of a 2-acre place and lots of animals.....but I have a hard time justifying the money. We were up to about a carton between us every 2-to-3 weeks.

I didn't start until I was 35 and it was to lose weight. It worked - I had one before each meal.....I lost 35 pounds in 6 weeks. Plus, I've always been a 'nervous nibbler' so if I got upset or was stressed about something, I'd grab some candy or a bag of chips ..... that didn't help my weight. I decided I'd smoke a cigarette instead of snacking. THAT ALSO helped with my weight.

I always said I'd quit if I started getting the smoker's cough .... never have gotten that (I'm 64)....I can't tell that it impedes any activity I want to do or my level of activity. It's just a really enjoyable habit.

BUT, I need to get my head around it - my biggest problem is I DON'T WANT TO QUIT. But I need to quit.

We have never smoked in the car or in our house.....BUT the car smells like smoke - just the 25 minute drive home in the afternoons, after we'd smoked off and on through the day - sometimes the car is saturated with it.

The thing that helped most is the Cigotine ... electronic cigarette. It looks like you're smoking and you can do it anywhere. It was kind of fun to 'light up' in restaurants or movie theatres, etc....

Go to: www.CIGOTINE.com. We found them at the State Fair in Texas. They have filters of 12 mg tar, 6 mg and 0 mg. We got the 6 and 0. There is another electronic one (don't know the name), but it's smaller like a real cig....the Cigotine is a little fatter and heavier. But they both took care of the hand/mouth thing.

MY problem is at one point everything came crashing down - problem at work, LOTS of stress in my life, my mom died, etc.etc.etc....and I just plain picked up a real one and took a couple of puffs.

My partner quit cold turkey. We have a friend who did the Chantix .... she did the 'first week' (the expensive one) about 3 or 4 times and elected not to move on to the other stages - too expensive and our insurance didn't pay for it. They have since changed their policy and DO pay for some of it, but the co-pay is outrageous because there's no generic for it.

Well, OK, so I smoke maybe a pack a month now, but I'm still trying to WANT to quit......

I believe COLD TURKEY IS the best way. Just find something else to do with your time/energy beside suck on candy, etc....my mom did that and she put on about 45 pounds in a couple of months .... said she wished she'd kept smoking - it kept her trim.

All these answers have just about made me want to quit ....

So, GOOD LUCK TO US ! ! ! !

Take care!
c

I recommend, NOT trying to quit, when you are PMS'ing.
Wrong timing for quitting. It will be harder when PMS'ing.
Do it when you are not PMS'ing.

Its all mental.....
Instead of telling your head "I need a smoke..." tell yourself "I don't need it.... it is only a hallucination... " then go do something else. You have to self-talk yourself...and re-wire your 'need' for it. Mentally.

Or just try and smoke less... have a 'quota' for yourself.
Then from there, go less and less.

Don't replace the urges with food or things in your mouth. Otherwise, feeding your mouth will be the next 'bad' habit. Replace the urges with other things... exercise... blowing in and out of your mouth using DEEP breaths etc.

Try "deep breathing" techniques. Google search it. It is very good. Used for stress and many health problems too.

Also you might try meditating. Really. It helps many and has actual results in changing the brain waves... helping relaxation/stress etc.

You may get moody. Probably will.
Go to Whole Foods, and ask them for things you can take to relieve stress etc. They are very helpful and knowledgeable.

Good luck.
I used to smoke.
I just drink coffee now.
LOL

It doesn't get worse it gets better... and you'll feel better. Cold turkey really is the best way. Hang in there, be strong. You'll be so happy you did!!!

I was never a smoker but my BIL sure WAS. I remember having conversations with him and when he'd get the urge, he'd do something productive like take a long walk, go get the tires rotated, take the dog to the dog park etc... He often said that his triggers for wanting a smoke were the same (after a good meal, stress at work, people who talk too much, the subway etc...) so he started to recognize this more and more and changed his daily habits to avoid his triggers. He ended up eating better and learned to eat less carbs, he started facing the stress at work head on instead of "taking a bad breather", when people talked too much he learned ways of cutting conversations short w/o being rude and he rode his bike to work vs. taking the subway. You can do this! Take it moment by moment, day by day. If you slip up, dust yourself off and try again but the next time, make a better choice so you can avoid the trigger. I wish you much luck, it is possible to quit, you just need to write down your daily goal of what you feel you can do and go from there. Stick to your daily goals too:) Thank you for putting your family first before your smoking, I'm sure that means a lot to your significant others that you are ready to quit:)

I smoked for about 9/10 years. I wanted to get pregnant so I quit. I just could not get over a visual of my niece grabbing smokes from my sister and I did not want that for my own children. Two months from the day I quit, I found that i was pregnant with my first child.

1. cold turkey is best, do not try to reason, it won't work.
2. you need to find what works best for you. I used several different things at once. I used the patch, I sucked on dum dums (a lot) talking probably 20+ per day, and I used a reward system. Every day for the first 2 weeks, I bought myself something (ie cute pen, chocolate, make up) Then I went down to once a week for a month, then once a month for 6 more months. When 1 year went by my hubby bought me something, and for my 2 year cessation, he bought me my own lap top computer.
3. You need to remember it is NOT easy and you will crave them for awhile.
I stopped craving them just last year. I have been an ex-smoker for over 10 years! Mind you they were not real strong cravings.
4. It is easiest if you do not do your usual hangouts for smoking. Such as do not sit in that favorite chair you like to smoke in, it will only help the cravings.
5. Remember you are only human, if you relapse, try again. This was the 3rd attempt at quitting.

GOOD LUCK!

my son had to quit smoking for surgery. He went thru auriculotherapy...where the ear is "zapped". It worked for him, for my sis, & for several other friends/family.

Actually if you continue to smoke you will be dying...a slow death everytime you smoke. Sorry to be harsh, but that is your reality. I know because I smoked for 15 years, quit for 5 years, relapsed (major life event) and smoked on & off for 4 years and quit for good now 2 years. The hardest part isn't the quitting, it is never smoking again! Lots of good advice already. I would suggest you seek out a smoking cessation program, most hospitals sponsor them and maybe your insurance will cover it. I never understood why not, as smoking is as powerful an addiction as alchol or drugs. Once again it is a mind game. One thing that did help me was to carry around straws (cut to the length of a cigarette). If I felt I needed a puff, I inhaled into the straw...as dumb as it sounds the deep breath in helped. If you are a menthol smoker, chew mint gum and do the same...it's like inhaling a menthol cigarette. Try anything and everything, even if it sounds ridiculous. It may be the one thing that keeps you away from ever smoking again. I wish you much strength in your journey...you will need it. Your kids will thank you for it. If it was easy and you didn't enjoy it so much you would have quit years ago! Take it easy these next few weeks, ask the family for help and you will get through it, everyday it will become less prominent in your life and mind.

I had a friend quit using the toothpaste/mouth wash method.
You know how horrible smokes taste when you just brished your teeth or used mouthwash? Everytime she would crave one she would prush her teeth, use brush ups, use listerine, or pocket listerine strips.
She started and if the craving got strong enough she would go have a puff, realized it tasted nasty then put it out. Aftera while she didn't even want to go out and smoke. She was obessive about it at first too.
I have also had friends quit in a week on Chantix (not sure how it's spelled).
For me, the toothpaste method didn't work, but hey, it might be worth a shot.
Good Luck!

I quit 3 yrs ago in October and it was definitely tough (I know, not what you want to hear). I think its different for everyone though. I quit because I was planning on trying to get pregnant in the coming months and I wanted to have a clean slate and a real haven for my baby when I did get pregnant. I hate to say it but I think you will have a harder time quitting because you are being forced to do so because of money issues and not because you WANT to. This doesnt mean you cant I just think it will take a lot more of a fight on your end to stay smoke free. I found the first 6 months very difficult but as soon as I became pregnant I almost lost all interest and actually became disgusted with the habit. Its a really tough thing to do but I believe you can and trust me you will feel better soon and just keep reminding yourself that its the best choice for everyone
Good Luck

I've never been a smoker, but my husband was when we first met. He quit cole turkey (he used the gum though). It was hard for him, but it does get better. Try Googling smokers lung or lung cancer when you really feel like you need a smoke. The photographs of the reality of what you are doing to your lungs may help deter you. I wish you all the best - it is a great thing you are doing for yourself and your family.

My friend quit with chantix. You rock! God bless you! Good luck!

You can do it!!!!!! Good for you for adding years to your life and life to your years by giving up this habit. I'm proud of you! Just take one day at a time. It will be okay. My friends that have quit agree that the first couple of days is the hardest. Give your body a chance to adjust. Hang in there and know that we are cheering for you! :)

Good luck. It is great you are doing this!

Call your primary care doctor and ask for help!!

Cold turkey is the best way. Just remember the nicotine is out of your system in 3 days. After that, it's all in your head. Just remember that when you want to pick up one. Good luck and you can do it!

Good morning! First off, I'll add my own li'l cheer for you! Good for you for deciding to quit! I read through the other responses and you have some great advice here. One thing that I wanted to add, since cost is such a major factor in your decision, is to put a calendar next to your bed, and each night, write down how much money you've saved. Cigarettes are $5.00 a pack here, so you get to write down $5.00 for yesterday. When the struggle is over today, you get to write down $10.00 before bed tonight. When you hit a week, $35.00! You will be amazed how fast it starts adding up! The first few weeks are definitely the worst, but seeing how much money you've saved is a great incentive to stick with it.
As for the gum, for some people, it will J. make them crave a cigarette. If that's what you mean about making you feel worse, then you may need to look into another form of nicotine replacement such as the patch/lozenges. However, if the gum is making you feel worse by upsetting your stomach and/or causing hiccups, then you need to slow down when you're chewing it and really focus on not letting yourself over-chew it. Chew it slowly and "park" it, like the directions suggest. That will help a lot, especially in the first week or so.
Many of the responses suggest going "cold turkey" and that probably is the "best" way to quit, but it won't work for some. If you're like M., the idea of being cranky to my family wasn't a trade-off I was willing to make, so the gum helped take J. enough of the edge off to help with the withdrawals. After you've gone a few months without having a cigarette, you can replace the gum with something healthier and it will be easier because you will be proud of yourself for making such a positive change in your life.
I wish you the very best of luck on this! It is so, so hard, but it is worth it!

Hi there! I'm not a smoker, but my mom was as long as I can remember. Smoking and about 6 pots of coffee a day was her thing for many years.....until one day, after so many years of this habit, she was typing an email to me (she lives in a different state), and her arms went numb. She got a funny feeling in her chest, and she knew something wasn't right. She hollard at my dad to take her to the ER. Sure enough, she had a slight heart attack. It could have been a major one had they not gotten to the ER right away. The doctor exclaimed to her that she indefinitely has to quit smoking and quit drinking so much coffee. She ended up transfered to another hospital so that she can get a stent put in. A stent helps the blood flow more easily. That day, she quit smoking. It scared her that much. She quit cold turkey, and although quitting cold turkey can really have a huge side effect on ya, she did it. Her will power and determination helped her through it. I am so happy for her too and so proud. This happened January 1st 2004. I will never forget that day. I was a wreck. My husband and I left that next day for their house. I cried all the way there. Ever since then, she has had great check ups at the heart doctor's office and great general check ups as well.
It was a challenge to quit. It can be done. It all depends on you and how bad you want to quit.
Ask your doctor about Chantix. However, that med has side effects, so ask about those as well. They have different ways to help people to stop smoking. You just have to find the way that works for you. For one, it will be most helpful to you to not be around anyone who smokes. If you have friends that smoke, or family members who smoke, ask that they respect your decision to quit and have them not smoke at all around you while you go through the quitting process.
I wish you the best.

All the responses are super. I will add only one thing. Smokers do not realize how obnoxious they smell to non-smokers. You won't realize it until you've not smoked for a while. It's on your clothing, furniture, car, and in the pores of your skin. There are probably some people in your life that love you dearly, want to be closer to you, but just can't take the smell. I am speaking from personal experience. My childhood friend smokes. I love her dearly and loved being with her except for the stench of smoke. She didn't even smoke in my presence, but she carried the smell around like an ashtray. Even our car absorbed her odor and my husband hated that. We recently bought a new car and I had to make the painful decision to distance myself from her so that she won't be riding in my car anymore. She's got vascular disease, so the doctors have told her to quit. But she doesn't. Smoking builds barriers.
I wish you all the best God has for you in your endeavor to quit.

Hi!

I just asked my brother for an update yesterday on how his quest to stop smoking has been going. Well... it was so refreshing to see him finally and truly motivated to tell me about it.

In a nutshell, he's been using a pill called Chantix and he seems so optimistic about it with this attempt with this method. (I just email him to get the name of the pill so that I could respond to your request:-)

He mentioned how this method weans him off the ciggarettes and his urges are dimishing. I'd check it out... google it at least. Really..... my brother started smoking as a teen and is now 50 yrs. old and he has been trying for so long to quit and this really seems like the first time he was so upbeat about quitting. He looks better overall.... smiling more and his skin looks better too!

Good luck!

I'm sure that you've probably gotten this response, but just in case you haven't, you should look in to electronic cigarettes. My friend has them and they are INCREDIBLE! I've tried them myself.
Good luck!